Sadiq Sanjrani elected as Chairman Senate

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Opposition-backed Senator Sadiq Sanjrani was elected as the eighth Chairman of the Senate in Islamabad on Monday for next three years, becoming the first ever Senator from Balochistan to chair the Upper House of the Parliament.

While his sole opponent Raja Zafar-ul-Haq was supported by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), National Party (NP), Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP).

Following the announcement of the election result, Sadiq Sanjrani took oath as the Chairman Senate. The Presiding Officer Sardar Yaqoob Nasir administered oath to him.

In the House of 104, 53 votes were required to win the contest. However, there were 103 members in the Upper House who would cast their vote as one of the elected Senator Ishaq Dar could not take oath due to his stay in London.

In this particular situation, 52 votes were required to win the contest if no vote of members was rejected.